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Is it too early to tell you that there's just 76 days left until Christmas?
In this month's newsletter, we share important reminders and updates including:
- tomorrow's DMS data submission deadline
- confirmation on RdSAP requirements for Wave 2 grant recipients
- a reminder on the importance of TrustMark lodgements
- additional activities required for project closure, including the project evaluation report, reasonable assurance reports and lessons learnt report and log
- an invite to showcase your project by hosting us for a site visit
Your monthly DMS data submission is due on Tuesday
We'd like to reiterate the importance of completing timely, accurate and quality monthly DMS data submissions.
The DMS data submission is a critical requirement for the department's official statistics which are published monthly on the gov.uk website. Plus, staying on top of your data reporting helps us track progress and keep operations running smoothly.
As you should be aware, the deadline for this report falls on the tenth working day of the month. Grant recipients who have completed delivery of capital works should continue to submit/refine their monthly reports while delivery, financial and lodgement data is being confirmed.
The next deadline to submit your report is Tuesday 14 October.
You can find data reporting guidance, including a video walkthrough addressing common questions and challenges on the monthly reporting resources webpage of the SHDF Hive.
Reminder: all funded measures must be lodged via the TrustMark data warehouse
TrustMark lodgement is a key requirement of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2 grant funding agreement (GFA).
It provides evidence that retrofit works are delivered in line with PAS standards and ensures accountability, quality assurance and protection for residents.
To maintain full visibility of delivery and compliance it's recommended that you work with relevant stakeholders, particularly those responsible for lodging measures, to track and confirm that all measures are being submitted via TrustMark as the scheme progresses.
Video guides to assist with lodging your property can be found via the TrustMark website and tips and advice for TrustMark photo evidence can be found on our website.
As a part of project closure, our teams will work to verify and review your TrustMark and DMS data to ensure there are no errors, omissions or inconsistencies in your records. Your project cannot close until this process, called data reconciliation, is complete.
RdSAP10 update for Wave 2 grant recipients
There is no need to produce a new pre-retrofit EPC assessment under RdSAP10 if one was already completed under RdSAP 2012 before 15 June 2025 and there has been no material change in the property since that assessment took place.
Properties which were pre-assessed before 15 June 2025 in RdSAP 2012 can be completed in RdSAP 2012, so long as projects produce a post-retrofit energy performance report (EPR) calculated in RdSAP 2012 and lodge this on TrustMark. For the purposes of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1 and Wave 2.2 and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3, the department will accept these EPRs as evidence of scheme performance outcomes (i.e. EPC C) being achieved.
Projects using EPRs in RdSAP 2012 must still calculate a new post-retrofit EPC via RdSAP 10 and submit this to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) EPC register. The EPC created using RdSAP 10 will not impact performance outcomes for the purposes of this scheme.
EPC accreditation companies will continue to allow the generation of RdSAP 2012 post retrofit energy performance reports (EPRs) to allow retrofits started in RdSAP 2012 to be completed in RdSAP 2012 for a limited time. We expect this to be available for a period of at least one year (starting from 15 June 2025).
All pre-retrofit assessments which take place after 15 June 2025, and subsequent post retrofit assessments for those properties, must be done using RdSAP10.
Any questions regarding retrofit assessments should be directed to your retrofit assessment scheme provider.
Project closure support and required tasks
Your single point of contact (SPOC) and project support officer (PSO) should be your first port-of-call for any closure-related questions.
They're here to support and guide you through the process and answer any questions that you may have.
The closure hub on the SHDF Hive hosts key information to support scheme closure and project completion.
Since our last delivery newsletter was sent on Thursday 11 September, the following tasks have been added to the closure checklist. However, please note that the checklist does not yet reflect all activities required to align with project closure. It is a live webpage and additional activities and resources may be added over time to better support grant recipients as they navigate the closure process.
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Reasonable assurance reports (step 6), which must be returned within six months of the end of each financial year. This requires having your annual accounts audited by a sufficiently independent, appropriately qualified auditor, and ensuring the auditor’s reasonable assurance report (as outlined in Schedule 1 of your Grant Offer Letter) is submitted to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
- Please note: reasonable assurance reports for financial year 2024/2025 are now overdue. If you haven't yet submitted your reports, please do so as soon as possible. If you require advice or assistance, please contact your SPOC.
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Project evaluation report (step 7), which is a mandatory requirement for project closure. The report will be sent directly to you via your project support officer (PSO) as your project reaches completion. This submission ensures the department can capture important details about your Wave 2 delivery and outcomes. It will be used alongside the data in your DMS reports to provide additional commentary to assess the real-world impact of your project. It’s also a critical component required to inform the development of future schemes, policies and processes.
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Your lessons learnt report and lessons learnt log (step 8), are a key part of project closure. They help build a comprehensive and accurate picture of the programme’s delivery, highlighting challenges, successes and key learnings. We recommend completing these alongside step 7 – project evaluation report. Please use the provided templates, available on the Hive webpages (as linked above) and reflection prompts to guide your thinking and help structure your responses.
If you have any questions about these activities or requirements, please speak first with your SPOC or PSO.
Don't forget to share your support services feedback!
Issued every three months, our quarterly support services feedback survey is designed to gather valuable feedback on your experience working with your single point of contact (SPOC) within the context of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2 programme.
This should take no longer than 20 minutes to complete and your input is essential to help us enhance the quality of support provided and ensure the success of these programmes.
Responses are due by 5pm Friday 7 November 2025.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights.
Showcase your project by hosting us for a site visit
A site visit is an exciting opportunity to showcase your project, discuss challenges and opportunities and celebrate successful outcomes for your organisation and your residents.
If you’re interested in hosting us, please complete the form below and one of our team will contact you to arrange next steps.
You're invited: understanding distribution network operators webinar
Join our Salix team alongside speakers from Electricity Northwest and SP Energy Networks to learn more about the process of increasing your onsite electrical capacity.
This includes how to make a request, as well as how to navigate the relationship with your local distribution network operator (DNO).
- Thursday 30 October
- 2pm to 3pm
- Online via Microsoft Teams
View more and register to attend.
Unsure if you've missed a communication?
The historic communications webpage on the SHDF Hive details an overview of key communications sent to grant recipients by us (Salix) or the department.
If you're unable to locate or didn't receive a communication listed on the page, please contact your SPOC.
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